As "the new millennium" approached, there were endless arguments over whether we actually had cause to celebrate. The "Is it 2000 or 2001?" debate continues, but certainly no one would dispute that the number 100 represents a long life, a perfect score or the number of coffees available on the menu at Coffee House Poem.
Though the variety might suit our modern lives, Coffee House Poem is actually modeled after the tea salons of 18th-century England, where people would gather to discuss politics and culture. Coffee House Poem has attempted to carry on the tradition, with occasional poetry readings (sans bongos), acoustic concerts and the bimonthly Poem Press, an entertaining hodgepodge of coffee bean sagas, recipes and commentary from staff and customers. With the added plus of a dazzling menu, Coffee House Poem brings a lot to the table -- literally.
On a rainy January afternoon at CHP in Shibuya, Toyonari Yamanouchi, CHP's young president, explained how his late father Toyoyuki opened the first CHP in Asagaya in 1966, hoping it would be not only a comfortable hangout for creative types, but also a support for his family while he pursued a screenwriting career.